Left to right - Oil on MDF Board, Silkscreen and Ink on Card, Digital Manipulation on Photopaper, Laser Cut Plywood. All A2 Size.
Below is a timelapse documenting the creation of all four pieces.
‘Advances’
We live in a fast-paced society dominated by improvements in communication, travel, media, manufacturing and various technologies that obsess over convenience and simplification.
It is a familiar scene for individuals to detach themselves from the world around us, indulging in their technological devices wherever and whenever possible. It seems to me that the distinctive unsocial downward gaze towards an artificially lit screen- with the false promise of constant connection to the world of ‘social’ media - has become widely accepted as the norm. This relationship between individuals and their technological devices has fast become society’s addiction, disconnecting us from genuine human interaction with those in close proximity to us. This is the image I have explored throughout my project, expressing my frustration towards the way in which social media and mobile technologies develop an inability to socialize and a distraction from the world around us, replacing it with the ‘connected’ world of information in our pockets.
It is clear that not only has technology affected the society in which we live, but it has altered the subject matter and purpose of art. Traditional art has predominantly served to illustrate key historical and biblical events or flaunt wealth and skill. However, as information, visual stimulants and art can now be effortlessly accessed through the internet, there seems to be a more redundant purpose to visually accurate technical art, depicting lifelike scenes - especially when a high-definition camera could produce the same quality image in a split second. Contemporary art exists as a relief from our busy society allowing the viewers to slow down, think and appreciate simple things, such as everyday objects or natural phenomena, in a new light. This conceptual art does not dwell on the physical boundaries nor the finished product, but instead the idea, the concept - engaging minds and allowing freedom of thought. This questions the importance of the medium - if the materials used are simply a method of communication irrelevant to the message conveyed, does the same artwork have the same effect on the observer when portrayed through various forms of media?
It is a familiar scene for individuals to detach themselves from the world around us, indulging in their technological devices wherever and whenever possible. It seems to me that the distinctive unsocial downward gaze towards an artificially lit screen- with the false promise of constant connection to the world of ‘social’ media - has become widely accepted as the norm. This relationship between individuals and their technological devices has fast become society’s addiction, disconnecting us from genuine human interaction with those in close proximity to us. This is the image I have explored throughout my project, expressing my frustration towards the way in which social media and mobile technologies develop an inability to socialize and a distraction from the world around us, replacing it with the ‘connected’ world of information in our pockets.
It is clear that not only has technology affected the society in which we live, but it has altered the subject matter and purpose of art. Traditional art has predominantly served to illustrate key historical and biblical events or flaunt wealth and skill. However, as information, visual stimulants and art can now be effortlessly accessed through the internet, there seems to be a more redundant purpose to visually accurate technical art, depicting lifelike scenes - especially when a high-definition camera could produce the same quality image in a split second. Contemporary art exists as a relief from our busy society allowing the viewers to slow down, think and appreciate simple things, such as everyday objects or natural phenomena, in a new light. This conceptual art does not dwell on the physical boundaries nor the finished product, but instead the idea, the concept - engaging minds and allowing freedom of thought. This questions the importance of the medium - if the materials used are simply a method of communication irrelevant to the message conveyed, does the same artwork have the same effect on the observer when portrayed through various forms of media?
Final piece in exhibition space alongside video.
Follow me on Facebook for more -> MaxBowdenArt
Find my Youtube channel here -> Max Bowden
